Joseph plattenbueg



J. PLATTENBU'RGL OARFLOOR FRAME.

' Pa tentd Mar. 27:, 1888 J Witnesses Inventor CQIQEW. 5%

& 2-M(P1Am.h.n

Attorney o UNIT D STATES PATENT omen JOSEPH PLATTENBURG, OF MOKEESPORT,PENNSYLVANIA.

.VCAR-FLIOOR FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,978, dated March27, 1888. Application filed December 5,1837. Serial No. 256,977. (Nomodel.)

comparatively light timbers extraordinary vertical stiffness is secured.

My improvements will be readily understood from'the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the car- 'floor frameexemplifying my improvements,

. one of the strain-blocks.

floor-timbers; G, holes transversely through.

the strain-blocks, a pair'of holes being located near each end ofeachblock and near the top thereof; H, flanges formed upon the ends ofthe strain-blocks, and serving as means by which the strain-blocks maybe rigidly secured by bolts holding the flanges in vertical transversegains in the sills and intermediate floortimbers; J, end rods inclineddownwardly, from the strain-blocks to and through the end sills, therebeing a pair of rods for each strainblock, one of the rods lying nearthe appropriate sill and one near the appropriate intermediatefloor-timber, each rod being provided with a nut at each end seatingagainst appropriately-beveled nut-seats on the end sill andstrain-block, respectively; and K, body trussrods provided with nuts ateach end, each rodextending from a strain-block toward and under thecross-frame tie-timbers, thence upwardly and into engagement with theappropriate strain-block at the other end of the car, two of these bodytruss-rods engaging each strain-block, one rod lying as closely aspracticable against the inner side of the appropriate sill, whilethe'other rod lies similarly near the outer side of theappropriateintermediate floor-timbers.

The flooring over the floor-frame should be removable or be providedwith traps over the body-bolsters, so that the rod-nuts at thestrain-blocks can begotten at from above. The end rods can be strainedby means of the nuts at either end sill or strain-blocks. By removingthe inner nuts onthese end rods the rods may be readily withdrawnoutwardly through the end sills, thus rendering constructiomrepairs, andrenewals of these rods a matter of ease.

The body truss-rods strain from positive points over the body-bolsters,which represent the supporting-points in the length of the car. Theserods are put under proper strain by means of their endnuts. These nuts,.being removed, permit of the rods being-readily removed for repair orrenewal by first shifting the rod endwise until it becomes disengagedfrom one strain-block, then lowering the disengaged end,and thenshifting the rod endwise until the other end becomes disengaged-work.

easily performed" by one man.

In ordinary car-floor-frame construction the 'truss system fails to holdup the middle of the car satisfactorily, even' with veryheav'y tim- Ibers. Myimproved construction yields satisfactory resistance todeflection with comparatively light timbers, and with equivalent timberspermits the car-loads to be largely increased.

The term timbers may be taken as meaning either the wooden timbersusually employed or their metal substitutes sometimes employed I I claimas my invention 1. In a car-floor framing, the combination,substantially as set forth, with the sills, intermediate floor-timbers,end sills, body-bolsters, and cross-frame tie-timbers, of strain-blocksdisposed over the body-bolsters and secured to the sills andintermediate floor-timbers, end rods engaging the strain-blocks and endsills,

engaging the strain-blocks.

2. In a car-floor frame, the combination,

substantially as set forth, with the sills, intermediate floor-timbers,en'd sills, body-bolsters, cross-frame tie-timbers, end rods,J, and bodytruss-rods K, of strain-blocks F,provided with holes G and with flangesH.

Witnesses: JOSEPH PLATTENBURG.

GILBERT F.,MYER, F. W. "BURLINGAME.

